Ticking Clock
by Special Agent Lindsey
Summary: Olivia finds out she only has about a year left to conceive. Upon hearing this, Elliot offers to help her with this, through a tube of course. Will it work out? Will they stay friends? Maybe they'll realize how much they love each other. I don't own SVU!
1. Chapter 1 What about me?

Olivia walked into the precinct trying to hide how upset she was. She had just gotten back from the doctor.

"_I'd say you have about a year left to conceive, Ms. Benson. I'm sorry, but your clock is ticking," Dr. Barnes said, giving her a sympathetic look as he broke the news to her._

_"Thank you, doctor," she said before gathering her things as quickly as she could and heading for the parking lot. _

_42 years, wasted. There were plenty that I could've settled down with. But not him. He already has a family, Liv, don't do this to yourself. We're just friends. That's all we'll ever be. _

_She climbed into the Sudan and cried. It was the first time in a long time that she actually let a tear fall. 2 years, 6 months, two weeks, and four days since the night at Sealview. That was the last night that she ever let a tear escape. _

_She blamed her assault at Sealview for the fact that she couldn't have a baby. She'd refrained from anything intimate since the attack. She wouldn't let herself. It wasn't just that she didn't want to, but she was scared. What if she freaked out? The man in her bed would be hurt and gone in an instant. _

She walked in and got settled at her desk. The only one who noticed there was something wrong was Elliot. _Dammit. Just who does not need to know. _He kept staring at her as she got out her case file she was working on. She tried to ignore him as best she could, but she'd already had a rough day. Her patience was wearing thin.

Ten more minutes passed and she finally snapped.

"What are you looking at, Stabler?!"

"Ok, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, I see. Nothing's wrong, which is why you've been crying, look like you're ready to now, and just snapped at me."

"I don't want to talk about it. Not here."

He nodded, stood up, grabbed her by the hand, and marched her into the cribs.

"Ok, now talk."

"No, it's personal."

"A lot of things are, Liv. Spill. What happened?" He asked, giving her "the sweet-little-Stabler look".

He saw her go weak a little and the water works finally started. He pulled her into a hug, holding her while she cried. Every sob seemed to break him.

"I only have one more year left to become a mom. There's no man in my life. I've completely run out of time!" she cried, head buried into his chest.

He didn't respond right away and she thought he hadn't understood. Embarrassed, she pulled back, but he wouldn't let her go.

"Elliot,"

"What about me," he asked, sounding completely emotionless. She looked up at him, still holding each other.

"What? Elliot Christopher Stabler, this is no time for your jokes."

"I'm serious, Liv. I am a man, you know, and I think I've proved my capability in the baby making department."

"Elliot, you are a married man! Not to mention the fact that Cragen would kill us, or even worse, make us change partners."

He let out a laugh, imagining Cragen's face when they announced the big news.

"What I meant was, a test tube baby. My…products with yours."

"You know, that's actually not a bad idea. But," _Of course, a but. There's always a but, _Elliot thought, "Kathy. What would she think of all this?

_Damn. I forgot about that. _

Olivia could tell that a light bulb finally went off in his head when she said this.

"Well, I guess I'm going to have to ask, aren't I," He said, grabbing the keys out of his pocket, finally letting go off her, walking out of the cribs.

Cragen, I've got to go. I'll probably be back later. Can you manage without me for a little while," Elliot Stabler asked, peeking his head in the Captain's office door, trying his best to look freaked out.

"Yeah, yeah, go," The Captain said, obviously thinking something was wrong.

Elliot rushed out of the precinct as fast as he could, and drove home.

"KATHY! KATHY!" He called throughout his home, searching for his wife.

"Elliot, what is it? What's wrong?" She asked running down the stairs."

"We need to talk about something."


	2. Chapter 2 Daddy

**A/N: I know, that first chapter was really short, but they'll get longer and better. I pinky promise! Thanks for the reviews and favorites. They seriously made me smile like a lunatic. I felt so loved(: Please keep 'em coming.**

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"No," Kathy said shaking her head. Elliot had just sprung his plan on her and she was far from okay with it.

"Kathy, come on. She needs me!"

"No, Elliot! It's too much. It's crossing the line! You can't, Elliot! Don't do this to this family."

"Kathy, it's not like we'd be having sex or anything. We'd go to the clinic and do it surgically. I'd do my thing in a cup, they'd do whatever procedure it is that they do, and we'll be on her way, and a baby would be born in nine months."

The word "baby" made her crack.

"Why don't you just sleep with her?! It's not like you don't already!" She screamed, knowing that she was wrong, but hurling at him what she had terrified her for years: That she wasn't good enough anymore, he loved Olivia.

"Kathy you know that's not true!"

"I do?! How can I be sure? I hear the way you mumble her name in your sleep. I noticed when you had that head injury and was only concerned about not being able to see Olivia. I was sitting right next to you, and that was just fine, but the minute she says your name, you panicked because you couldn't see her. I'm not stupid. I know you only came back because of Eli."

He looked embarrassed and felt as if she had beaten him raw.

"Kathy,"

"Get out. Go. Leave."

"Kathy!"

"No, Elliot! Get out!" She screamed at him, trying to shove him out the door.

"Come on, we can talk about this."

"No, we can't! I want you out! I want you gone!"

Elliot gave in, and walked out, slamming the front door behind him.

Olivia Benson's head was reeling as she sat at her desk trying unsuccessfully to concentrate on her paperwork. _What the hell is he thinking? Offering to father my child. Has he completely lost his mind? _She couldn't help but smile at the thought though. She had fantasized a few too many times about having a family with her partner. She knew the rules though: no getting too personal. Well, if people had a problem with how close they were as it was, she couldn't imagine the uproar they would cause when people found out who the father was. She had always suspected that Cragen knew how she felt about Elliot. She didn't mean to fall in love with her best friend, it just happened. It was completely out of her control who she fell for. _But it doesn't make it hurt any less, _she thought. _What's going to happen to our relationship when I'm pregnant and when the baby's born? Oh dear God, I really don't hope it gets too awkward. Is he going to consider it his kid? Or is he merely doing it as a favor to me? _

Elliot walked into the precinct and made a beeline for Olivia.

"Sound's like you're getting a baby, Liv," he said forcing a smile.

"What?! She seriously went for it?"

"No, she left me," he said looking at the dirty floor.

Olivia sat in silence for a few seconds before responding.

"El, you can't just give up your wife to do me a really big favor. I won't let you."

He looked up at her.

"You think that I did it as a favor? It's more than that Liv. I'm doing it because I," he stopped, heart pounding, knowing what he was about to let slip, "…..care about you. Besides, she was going to leave me anyway, and I'm not going to let it happen for no reason. The deal's sealed. But Liv, can I be in his or her life too. I don't just want to be some guy who gave you his juice in a cup and went on his way."

_Did he really just almost say the L word? No, he couldn't have. _

"I care about you too, El," she said, wishing she could actually tell him just how much.

"And yes, I'd love for you to be there, but just so I know how much, well, how much?"

"I want to be "Daddy"."

Olivia couldn't help but beam at his words. He smiled back, blushing a little.

_Whoa, since when did Elliot blush?_

"Are you two talking about what I really think you are?" John Munch asked. They both turned their heads to see Munch and Fin gaping at them.

"It's about damn time you two got laid. The sexual tension in here has broken records these past few years," Fin said, getting up and heading to the door, leaving the squad room for home.

"What?! No, we're not… doing it the old fashioned way. Strictly cup and doctor way," Olivia replied, blushing like crazy. _Guess I'm not the only one who feels it. _She wasn't sure to feel awkward or happy that she wasn't imagining things.

Elliot was laughing at her. _Forty-two years old and won't even say it. _He laughed even louder when she attempted to throw him a dirty look. Normally she could give a look that could possibly kill someone, but he knew that she was too excited for it to actually turn out remotely mean.

"Quit looking at me like that, Liv. I'm giving you the gift of life."

"You're what?" Cragen said walking out of his office.

_Uh oh. _


	3. Chapter 3 Unprofessional

**A/N: Hey, thanks for all the reviews and stuff. I told one of my best friends today at school, "Look, Cam, I'm loved!" and showed her how many I had so far. She thinks I'm an obsessed loser…Oh well. My internet wasn't working for some reason and I thought "Oh, I know! I'll write!" It's also helping me put off that homework junk, but we don't speak of those things. **

**The Elliot song in here is "It's Your Love" by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, by the way. **

**Disclaimer: (I forgot to do this on the previous two) I do not own anything or any characters. They belong to Wolf, Baer, and the other fabulous people at NBC, which does not belong to me either, unfortunately. **

_**E/O zone- all Dani fans are advised to leave for your own mental safety. **_

* * *

"My office, now," Don Cragen said, staring at Stabler and Benson. He was always afraid….well, maybe _afraid _wasn't the word, but he always _knew _something big would happen between these two one day. He just fooled himself at first into thinking that they were just really close friends. It then turned into best friends, and he soon saw a repressed love story unfold before his eyes. _Just my luck, _Cragen thought, leading the pair into his office.

Olivia and Elliot were fighting over who would enter the "lion's den" first. They knew they were in trouble. You'd think they would be used to being called into this office by now, after about 15 years of wrecking havoc as partners at NYPD-SVU. But they knew that this time it wasn't their normal rule-breaking shenanigans that Cragen normally dealt with. This time it was huge. One partner was going to father the other's child. The IAB would have a field day with this.

Cragen shut the door behind them and closed all the blinds. _Oh no, not the blinds, _Elliot thought. He looked over to see Olivia, calm and collected like always in tough situations. He wished he could be as composed as she was. He has always been the temperamental, hot-headed one, while she evened it out, with her easy manner.

"Explain yourself before I kill you both!"

"You see," Elliot said, looking at Olivia, who gave him the "it's ok" nod, "Captain, Liv was upset earlier, because she has just found out that she only has a year left to make a baby. I got an idea: in vitro; my sperm with her eggs. I mean, if you think about it, we're not breaking any rules. The rules state that we can't…..get intimate to the point where we compromise our work, not that I can't father her child."

Cragen didn't answer right away.

_Are we seriously getting away with it? _Olivia thought, forcing herself not to smile. She looked at Elliot, who looked back. She could tell he was satisfied with his argument. She was too; she just hoped that it would be enough.

"Congratulations you two, you've beaten the system and are having a baby."

Before she could stop her self, Liv hugged Don and screamed thank you. He hugged her back, knowing that unless this was the best thing that she had heard in a long while, that she wouldn't become this unprofessional.

"You two have the night off by the way," Cragen said, after Olivia was done freaking out, "to figure everything out."

"Thank you, Capt'n," Elliot said, shaking his hand. Don Cragen nodded his head, and the future parents left his office, completely and totally relieved.

Elliot couldn't help himself; he was too excited. He picked her up and spun her around in the tightest hug she'd ever received.

_ Please don't let go, _Olivia thought to her self, eyes closed, wishing she could just kiss him. But she couldn't. She'd never be able to.

He didn't put her down, but he did move his head back to look at her, as she opened her eyes.

"Want to go out for some celebratory drinks later? It'll be the last we'll have in a while."

"Yeah, I'd like that."

***

It was eleven p.m. and the two were three sheets to the wind. They were laughing and telling stories in the back booth of Joe's Bar down the street from Liv's apartment.

Olivia threw her head back and laughed as Elliot finished telling one of his stories about his first years as a police officer. She stopped laughing and turned her head to see him gazing intently at her.

"I love you, Liv," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she whispered back. No matter how drunk she was, she knew that this was true. He leaned in and kissed her. It was simple, even timid at first, but then he deepened it, pulling her closer with one hand on her back, the other in her hair. She kissed him back, knowing that this was what she had been waiting for, for a long time. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him as close as she could.

"About damn time, you two!" the bartender called from behind the bar.

***

Elliot Stabler woke the next morning in a roughly familiar bed with a terrible headache. He recognized the settings, but had never been in it under these circumstances. He was holding someone and looked down to see his partner, Olivia, sound asleep in his arms. He didn't know what time it was, and didn't care. He didn't care about the fact that he desperately had to go to the bathroom. All he cared about was the fact that he finally made love to Olivia last night, told her how he felt, she said it back, and he was now holding her while she slept. He was so relieved that he actually remembered last night. Laying there was pure bliss. He loved the feeling of lying there, pressed against her, skin on skin. It was the most comfortable thing he'd experienced, including his twenty-five years with Kathy. He couldn't stop himself from bending forward and giving her a kiss. She smiled and opened her eyes.

"Good morning, Beautiful. I really like the hair," he teased. She rolled her eyes and stretched. She went to get up, but he wouldn't let her.

"El, come on," she whined. She was definitely not a morning person, even after the best sex of her life.

"Well, what do I get out of it?"

"You get to see the rare occurrence of me actually cooking."

He immediately let go of her, knowing that this only comes about once a year.

Olivia was flipping pancakes on her stove, listening to the radio, when she felt Elliot snake his arms around her waist and kiss her on her temple.

"What's for breakfast?"

"Pancakes: the great hangover food."

"Since when?"

"Since I came in here and found out that that's all I have in my cabinets."

"Olivia Lynnette Benson, do you not know how to go grocery shopping?"

She swatted him with the spatula. She gave the pancakes a cautious glance.

"You know, these probably aren't the safest to eat. I can't even remember the last time I shopped for more than the basics," she said, throwing them away.

__Some country love song that Olivia didn't know came on. She was about to change it when Elliot started singing it to her in a very dramatic matter, and with a completely fake southern-accent. He had the worst voice in the world, but it was the cutest thing.

"_Dancin' in the dark_

_Middle of the night_

_Takin' your heart_

_And holdin' it tight_

_Emotional touch_

_Touchin' my skin _

_And wishin' that you'd do_

_What you've been doin' all over again_

_It's your love_

_It just does somethin' to me _

_It sends a spark right through me_

_I can't get enough,"_

Olivia, laughing, shut him up with a kiss.

"Ok, George Strait, let's go get some breakfast."

"It was Tim McGraw…."

**A/N: Ha, so much for not getting intimate, huh? Review? Please(: **


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